How technology could shape future business events

For anyone employed in the events industry, you’ll know that audience engagement is becoming more important than ever.

Fortunately, there’s a plethora of high-tech solutions available nowadays that can help corporate event planners and conference organisers achieve a good success rate with that objective and even have digital interactions with their audience like never before – no matter the size of the audience.

Many nimble event companies in London and across the globe, have been quick to integrate and utilise several of these fascinating technologies (AKA “event tech”) in their corporate events to achieve great results.

Based on the industry insights and the latest advancements in technology, here are some of the ways we believe event tech will shape the future of business events in 2019 and beyond.

Delivering rich sensory experiences

As human beings, we have five basic senses that can not only make us feel engaged in the present moment but also keep it stored in our memories. In order to deliver rich sensory experiences, there’s a lot that can be achieved with the help of technology. Here are just a couple of examples to give you a hint of what all is possible if you are willing to put in some efforts in this direction:

Sight

Giving meeting delegates a rich visual experience by setting up dramatic 3D scenery, for example. Another option is using VR/AR to deliver product demos or launch shows.

Sound

Commissioned soundtracks are a good option for this. Find options that let you control the vibes and atmosphere in the conference arena.

Taste

More emphasis to be laid on tailored catering based on the preferences of the attendees (you can use mobile apps to take the required preferences from delegates).

Touch

If you are organising a product launch, for example, you can leverage 3D printing to distribute product prototypes in the audience (requires far less budget) and let them experience the product in their hands for real.

Smell

Use the right kind of fragrances depending on the type of audience you are catering to. Again, data will be required for taking this step, which you can collect from various sources or from the attendees themselves.

Measuring important metrics such as footfall and traffic

Imagine you are planning to organise a large conference or trade fair in London that will attract a large audience. How would you accurately determine which areas in the arena attracted more traffic than others and by how much? Pressure-sensitive smart mats can help you with this.

Making communication seamless

Another gift from the world of technology recently has been chatbots. Chatbots operate on Artificial Intelligence and can make communicating with your delegates seamless. From personalising recommendations for your business event attendees to keeping them engaged, chatbots can literally “work for you”.

Analysing emotional responses of the audience using big-data

Did you know it’s now possible to analyse the emotional responses (heart rates, for example) of an audience, in real time, using big-data? Industry experts believe this alone has enough potential to change the way we deliver conferences and product launches in the future!

Guiding your audiences wherever they are

It’s now possible to segment your event attendees and break them down into groups using mobile apps and tools like iBeacon which will let you suggest the directions to your groups of attendees in real time, based on their preferences and where they currently are.

For example, you can welcome the incoming delegates and guide them around the event space through an app. When paired with chatbots and AI, the possibilities are virtually endless!

Making audience networking easy with the help of data and personalisation

How about leveraging the kind of technology that dating apps rely on to promote communication between people who are in close proximity and like each other?

Many corporate event planners have improved communication between teams and employees at global corporate events using data and personalisation. The same technique can be used in the case of networking events.

If you can ask the attendees to share their “want to meet” list, you will have enough data to make this happen. The next step would be to use instant messaging to let the attendees know when they are around someone they would want to meet.

Streaming live event video

Most event organisers can arrange for onsite video-editing and subsequent streaming of a live event. It can be used for social media distribution, or just to share with limited event delegates using a dedicated website that allows them to log in whenever they want and join in to get a slice of the action.

Offering personalisation with the use of facial recognition and biometrics

Facial recognition and biometrics can be used for improved screening and security at public events.

But the same set of technologies can also be utlised to deliver a great experience for the delegate, by using personalised greetings for them as they enter different spaces, for example. It can also be used to guide attendees to their respective seats, and even let the speakers identify with the people in the audience.

Utilising AR and VR during presentations

AR and VR are not just great technologies that can make your presentations stand out – it can also make them memorable! It’s now possible to use AR to showcase creative interactive charts and graphs, or convert a 2D presentation to 3D and bring it to life.

Final thoughts

In times when most of the audience is highly distracted (thanks to their smartphones!) and the average attention spans are shrinking faster than ever in the history of mankind, it becomes essential to go that extra mile when it comes to achieving the goals you have set for the event.

However, it’s advisable that you don’t rely on fancy event tech alone. Instead, try to do the required homework and look at the bigger picture. As a next step, figure out how technology can be used to solve some of the problems that you face while organising corporate events and achieving the important objectives of the event.

Be realistic about the kind of ROI that you can expect from the event tech you are planning to invest in. Before you make any decisions in this regard, you can always reach out to expert corporate event planners and conference organisers in London, for the much-required suggestions and inputs.